A new documentary titled A Faith Under Siege: Russia’s Hidden War on Ukraine’s Christians explores the widespread persecution of Christians in Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The documentary premieres on 10th May and focuses on how Ukrainian Christians have come under direct threat as a result of the invasion. The filmmakers argue that Russia sees faith, especially evangelical Christianity, as a challenge to state authority.
Producer Colby Barrett explains that people of strong faith tend to answer to a higher power and are therefore harder to control. “If you find faithful believers, they have just one allegiance, and that’s to Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s hard to control people when they only report to God.”
The documentary was led by Steven Moore of the Ukraine Freedom Project and co-produced by Barrett, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. With the help of Ukrainian journalists and a post-production team based in New York, they began filming in July 2024 using contacts Moore had made since arriving in Ukraine shortly after the war began in 2022.
Moore said he felt a responsibility to share the experiences of persecuted Christians after realizing how little of it was known outside Ukraine. “This story is getting out because I’m going to make it get out,” he said. “We’re bringing light to these very dark stories, and we are letting Ukrainian believers tell their own story.”
To gather these accounts, Moore and Barrett traveled more than 1,500 miles along the frontlines of the war. They interviewed pastors, families, children, and other believers who have either survived Russian occupation or been displaced by violence. One story includes a pastor’s son being forced to enlist in the Russian army as a form of pressure on his father. Others involve people losing loved ones to drone strikes or escaping from occupied areas.
Barrett said, “Everybody there is suffering in one way or the other. There is no difference between military and civilian targets.
Any Ukrainian can be killed, terrorized, or brutalized.”
Figures cited in the film show that at least 47 religious leaders have been killed, more than 650 churches have been damaged or destroyed, and about 22,000 children have been affected by violence, abduction, or injury.
Barrett highlighted Russia’s 2016 Yarovaya Law as an example of how the government uses legal means to suppress religious activity, including informal conversations about faith. “That’s how you control a population—by absolutely suppressing their faith,” he said.
The film also features personal experiences from both producers. Barrett, who had never made a documentary before, shared that the work came with real danger. “I never met fear until I came to Ukraine,” he said. “Many evangelical churches were absolutely destroyed.”
The documentary challenges the notion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is protecting Christian values. Moore pointed out that Russian attacks have struck civilians on religious holidays, including Palm Sunday, and that so-called ceasefires are often ignored.
Barrett felt compelled to join the project despite not having a background in filmmaking. “It absolutely blew my mind,” he said. “I knew that I was called to go over there and tell that story.”
He explained that his collaboration with Moore began with a phone call that quickly turned into a mission. Moore had already formed relationships with Christian leaders across Ukraine since moving there during the early stages of the war.
“We didn’t lack stories,” said Barrett. “Sadly, persecution is common. But with our Ukrainian and New York teams and Steven’s deep local connections, we were able to show the full picture.”
Both Moore and Barrett say the experience has strengthened their faith. “What’s happening there now feels a lot like the early church,” said Barrett. “They continue to love and serve even in the most difficult circumstances.”
